Latch mechanism



p 1954 J. H. ORR

' LATCH MECHANISM Filed Dec. 11, 1950 IHVE/VTOR J'OHN H. ORR

Patented Sept. 21, 1954 LATCH MECHANISM John H. Orr, Coventry, England, assignor to Carbodies' Limited, Coventry, England Application December 11, 1950, Serial No. 200,158

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 5, 1950 2 Claims.

The invention relates to a latch mechanism of the kind including a pivoted latch lever and a striking plate with co-acting detent means, the latch lever being operable in the releasing direction against a bias. The object of the invention is to provide, particularly for a hinged door of a vehicle (e. g., a motor car), a latch mechanism of this kind which is of simple construction and which will be inexpensive to produce and eflicient in operation.

According to the invention, the striking plate two spaced projections of which the outer sides effect a dove-tail engagement with the inner sides of two projections on the adjacent face of the latch lever casing when the door is closed, the inner surface of one of the striking plate projections is formed to provide the detent means. The latter can include two detents, for alternative engagement by the latch lever, for holding the door in either a fully, or a partially closed position, the detents having ramps for lifting the latch lever, against its biassing means, when the door is slammed.

The projections on the striking plate and on the said adjacent face of the mechanism casing can be formed in any suitable manner as, for instance, by a pressing operation or they can be formed separately and be secured in position in any known manner.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective fragmentary views of a motor car door and doorway, respectively, equipped with one form of latch mechanism according to the invention; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view, on the lines 3-? of Figures 1 and 2, with the door closed and the latch lever and striking plate engaged.

The casing I I, containing the operating mechanism (which does not form part of the present invention) of the latch lever, is mortised into the edge I2 of the door I3, and the protruding end of the latch lever, shown at I4, is biassed into the position shown in Figure l.

lhe strikin plate I5 is secured to the edge i of the doorway and has two detents IT, I8 respectively for holding the door in a partially, and the completely closed position, the detents having ramps I9, 20 for coaction with a bevel 2| on the under-side of the latch lever for lifting the latter for engaging over the detents when the door is slammed. In the closed position of the door (see Figure 3) the latch lever can be held firmly abutting the detent IT, as by a rubber draught-sealing tube 22, which is made fast behind the door flange 23, being compressed onto the surface 24 of the doorway.

Spaced sufiiciently above the detents to provide for the disengagement of the latch lever, the striking plate has a projection 25, and the remote surfaces 26, 21 respectively of this projection and a projection 28 on which the detents are formed diverge outwardly from the door edge It to provide a dove-tail element for co-action with a complementary element provided by the adjacent faces 29, 30 of two projections 3|, 32 fast with the casing I I. The door when closed is thus located rigidly in the vertical direction and can thus contribute, as is modern practice, to the strength of the whole body of the car.

Preferably, and as shown at 33 and. 35 in Figure 2, the surfaces 26, 21 are bevelled at the ends towards the outer side of the car body so as to facilitate engagement with the co-acting surfaces 29, 36 should the door not hang truly when open.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A latch mechanism for two members relatively movable to open and closed positions comprising a casing adapted to be mounted on the edge of one of said members, a latch lever pivotally carried by said casing, a striking plate adapted to be mounted on the other of said members for cooperation with the pivoted latch, a pair of dove-tail elements on said casing and disposed on opposite sides of said lever and spaced therefrom, said elements having dove-tail surfaces on their inner adjacent faces, a pair of spaced apart dove-tail elements on said plate and having dovetail surfaces on their outer remote faces for cooperating with the dove-tail surfaces: on the casing dove-tail elements, the dove-tail surface of each dove-tail element being parallel to the dove-tail surface of each of the other dove-tail elements, and detent means comprising a recess on the inner face of one of the striking plate dove-tail elements and opening through the upper edge thereof for cooperating with said lever when the movable members are brought together in closed position, said detent means being spaced from the other striking plate dove-tail element sufiiciently to provide a space therebetween to accommodate the lever during the opening and closing movements of the members.

2. For use, with a latch mechanism carried by one of two members relatively movable to open and closed positions and having a casing adapted to be mounted on the edge of said one of said members, a latch lever pivotally carried by said casing, and a pair of dove-tail elements on said casing and disposed on opposite sides of said lever and spaced therefrom, said elements having dove-tail surfaces ontheir inner adjacent faces, a striking plate adapted to be mounted on the other of said members for cooperation with the pivoted latch, a pair of spaced apart dove-tail elements on said plate and having dove-tail surfaces on their outer remote faces adapted to cooperate with the dove-tail surfaces on the casing dove-tail elements, and detent means comprising a recess on the inner face of one of the striking plate dove-tail elements and. opening through the upper edge thereof adapted to cooperate with said lever when the movable members are brought together in closed position, said detent means being spaced from the other striking plate dovetail element sufliciently to provide a space therebetween to accommodate the lever during the opening and closing movements of the members. 

